Bucco fan here.  Pirates finally broke through this year.  Now to fill the holes at first base and right field.  Would like to see Cory Hart at first (having a nice comeback season ie: Francisco Liriano), and make a trade for a right fielder until Polanco is ready to take over there full time.  Raise the Jolly Roger!!!

I would be very hesitant to put big money on Furcal as a free agent because of his injury history and now his age in the mid thirties or so. He has lost at least a step also. A contract with initiatives might be worth a chance but let the buyer beware!

Don't know how many Dodgers fans we have here…and this is a bit off topic…but I was just sent a pretty extensive video & report on Julio Urias. You guys should be excited.

Red Sox just signed Pierzynski for 1 year $8.25M.   Presumably he'll platoon with David Ross or become the primary catcher.   Now the Sox have two old catchers for one year.  Pierzynski brings a d-bag "reputation" with him, but now he is my d-bag.   

Viva La Cuba!

https://www.pinterest.com/cfagin/viva-la-cuba/

I am just excited since we dumped our former moronic owner. 

But he won the "good guy" award... 

ARLINGTON -- Catcher A.J. Pierzynski has been selected as the 2013 winner of the Harold McKinney Good Guy Award by members of the local chapter of the Baseball Writers' Association of America. He will be honored at the Rangers Awards Dinner on Friday, Jan. 24, in Grapevine, Texas.

The dinner will be followed by the 2014 Texas Rangers FanFest, which will be held at the Ballpark in Arlington from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. CT on Saturday, Jan. 25. Tickets for the event, which is part of the 20th anniversary celebration of the Ballpark in Arlington, are on sale at texasrangers.com/fanfest.

Nats fans rejoice!  They let Haren go, and in his place have obtained Fister.  Now that's a step up!

Detroit let their set up man go and gained a closer...Joe Nathan. 

Interesting moves. I don't really understand what the Tigers are doing- Fister would've cost the same amount as Nathan and been more valuable. Tigers fans interested in learning more about the prospects received in return can refer to this link, where I wrote a bit about them: http://www.baseballprospectus.com/a/22334

Jim Johnson is way overpaid, which makes it a bit interesting/ironic that he went to Oakland. They didn't give up much for him, though.

I like the Pierzynski signing, especially given the context of the situation.

Heath Bell to Tampa probably means he'll somehow become the next best closer in the game because, well, Tampa.

Overall, the Detroit situation is the one that perplexes me the most so far this offseason. I really like Dombrowski as a GM but I'm not really too sure what he's trying to do. 

On paper Pierzynski is the best catching move for the Sox. They were more interested in Hanigan (Reds). But he's headed for Tampa in a trade. Saltalamacchia is the only decent offensive catcher left on the market. Someone is going to overpay. I'm happy it isn't the Sox. I believe the Sox have the personalities in the clubhouse to keep Pierzynski in line.

The signing is also a message to the other Sox free agents the Sox aren't going to sit on their hands waiting for decisions to be made. If Napoli can't make up his mind I hope the Sox sign Corey Hart. 

JH,

According to what I read, the Nats were actually more interested in Scherzer.  Fister becomes a free agent in two years, so letting him go now makes.

The Nats rotation has become one of the best  with this addition.

100% agree. I don't know why the Tigers would make this move for the prospects they received in return.

Jacoby Ellsbury is a Yankee. 

Crazy!!! I was actually hoping to sign Beltran. I think Cano is gone now, but slight possibilty. If he's gone would love a trade for Phillips, he's out of favor in Cincy.

The Yankees paid 7 years at 153M for Ellsbury. They hold an 8th year option at 36M (never happen). I'm happy the Sox didn't do this. I thought 5 years at 100M (Sox offer) was overpaying. Ellsbury will give the Yankees four good years if he stays healthy. Then the Yankees are stuck with a former speed guy in his mid to late 30s.

Saltalamacchia is headed for the Marlins for 3 years at 21M. Pierzynski at 8M is a good one year deal for the Sox. They have two major catching prospects in AAA and AA.

Not crazy about the 7 years but will worry about that 5 years from now

Don't be surprised if they don't sign Shoo also...another Boras client. Remember Cano fired him for Jay-Z so there is some gamesmanship going on there.

Gardner, Ellsbury and Shoo with Soriano DH'ing. 

Love Cano but agree with them not going 200mil with him.

If this Ellsbury contract is indicative of the perceived value of a win for the Yankees, it'll be very difficult for them to obtain Cano for under $200 million. Cano is considerably more productive than Ellsbury.

Lot of action in the hot stove today but I have to agree that I don't know what the Tigers are thinking giving up a good starting pitcher (Fister) for very little when they are in their window of opportunity for a World's Championship right now. This may have had to do with salary dumping  but exchanging a starter under control for two years essentially to make room for reliever (Nathan) and his 65 innings of work who is not what he once was not a great move in my opinion.

I feel the Yankees also vastly overpaid Ellsbury, although he is a good player and leadoff batter. I said GOOD player not a great one. If he could match his 2011 season totals every year then he would be worth this contract. But that year was an outlier on his production and most years he is only a .340 to .355 OBP guy which is okay but not outstanding. He has never hit more than 9 HRs in any year except 2011 and he is going to be paid like a power and speed guy. This could turn out  like a Crawford contract. We'll just have to see if Yankee Stadium helps his lefthanded power. I think the Yankees may be blowing off their strategy to get below the luxury tax cutoff. I don't feel he is a bad pickup for the Yankees ( actually one of my favorite players), just that he is being paid a great deal of money that he may not be able to live up to.

Salty got a generous contract from the Marlins also, so it appears the TV contract money is out there.

So far, to me the steal has been the Hudson contract at two years 23 million by San Francisco. I feel he will bounce back and in this market that is an inexpensive pickup.

According to all reports they still have money for Cano even after the Ellsbury signing to stay under the 189. Don't forget they had a lot of money come of the books this year with Mariano, Pettitte, Hughes, Granderson, etc.

Actually, I like the Pierzynski signing on paper.   The clubhouse & on field personalities are a non-issue for me.   What does matter is how he handles his battery duties, and gets on the same page as the Red Sox pitchers.  He'll learn to be a little more patient at the plate, because that is what the Red Sox do.  He's a professional player that has been around the block.  We'll be more than fine with AJ behind the plate, and his bat is an added bonus.

Exactly what was predicted happened.   The catcher free agent market was limited, and the game of catcher musical chairs is over.  The Marlins overpaid for a guy with more strikeouts than games played.  I'll miss Salty, and I wish him well.   I really think he needs his eyes checked because that "Helen Keller uppercut swing" is going to put him in disfavor quickly down in Miami. 

And then there is Jacoby Ellsbury or "Johnny Damon Part Deux" depending on your perspective.  I think he is a very good player with incredible talents, but 7 years for $153M?  Boras out did himself on this one, and possibly left no money on the table for JayZ/Beyoncé & Cano.  I've yet to look at the numbers jazmik, but I'll take your word for it.   Regardless, It would appear the Yankees have made a huge financial decision & commitment with Ellsbury that leaves them with very little negotiating options with Cano.   If I'm Cano, I'm feeling a little disrespected despite this being about business.  My first call this morning is to JayZ asking "WTF?".   We'll see how this little drama unfolds. 

The days of 10 year contracts seem to be over, although 7 guaranteed for Ellsbury seems a bit much too. It should be interesting if somebody ponies up the 10 years that Cano is looking for. My bet is he will get 8 years, 185M max. Still not sure the Yankees will go there.

I realize the obvious public persona factor involved and I do the same thing, but I wanted to make sure everyone knows that Jay-Z is not actually Cano's agent. Brodie Van Wagenen of CAA is handling Cano's representation, Jay-Z is his "brand" agent, which is more about personal marketing than anything else. The Yankees and whatever other team is negotiating with Cano are not negotiating with Jay-Z.

With that being said, I was all in on the "maybe the Mets had that dinner because Sandy Alderson wanted to meet Beyonce" jokes a few weeks ago.

Steve Buckley had an article in the Herald about Pierzynski today. He said if his acquisition bothers anyone think Curt Shilling. The Sox won two World Series with him. He came with the reputation he pitched like a horse every fifth day and was a horse's @ss the other four.

Last night on WCVB sports Mike Lynch said if anyone is outraged about Ellsbury signing with the Yankees think how outraged you would be if the Sox signed him to that contract.

Maybe that is the situation. Who else is seriously negotiating against the Yankees or are the negotiating against themselves again?

I've been told the Mariners are heavily involved in negotiations, and have shown serious interest. I would imagine the Dodgers are players as well, although that's speculation as I have not heard anything along those lines.

TPM said, "According to what I read, the Nats were actually more interested in Scherzer."

I would've been, too, but I suspect he was not for sale, so you have to move on.  All in all, getting Fister at this price is a coup, and the fact that he essentially replaces Haren (who got an absurd amount of money himself, for some unfathomable reason) means things are looking up in DC.

Midlo- Haren's upcoming contract? I couldn't disagree with you more.

For a pitcher of Haren's caliber, $10 million for one year is an absolute bargain. From 2005-2011, only CC Sabathia threw more innings than him. After coming off his DL stint in 2013, Haren had a 3.19 ERA, and opponents had a slash line of .228/.271/.355 against him. He throws a ton of strikes and racks up a moderate amount of strikeouts. His peripheral stats and projections are pretty much in line with his career averages…so even getting just 160 innings out of him in 2014 at that caliber would make the deal more than worth it.

In my opinion, Haren and Hudson's contracts are the two best sure-bets of the offseason. I haven't come across a single analyst that thinks Haren is being overpaid.

The Dodgers signed a Cuban for a lot of money they expect to start at second.

So the Dodgers are paying $10 million for one year of Brian Wilson's services.  Amazing.  Yeah, he looked great in 13 innings at the end of the season, but at this point he's just a  set-up guy coming off his 2nd TJ surgery.

JCG,

Contrast that with the Red Sox signing (yesterday) former Cardinal Edward Mujica to a 2yr/$9.5M deal.  Are the Dodger's printing their own money out there? 

I really, really like this Mujica signing.   I love the depth the Sox seem to have built and fact that this bullpen (especially the back end) looks pretty flexible in that you can swap around the set up and closer roles on those days when certain guys are unavailable and feel confident that the job will get done. 

Sox bullpen could be :Miller, Workman, Breslow, Badenhop, Mujica, Tazawa, and Uehara.  I can't help but wonder if the Red Sox are looking to make some additional pitching moves with the bottom of their starting rotation.  The tea leaves say "yes".

Reports have 10 years 240 Million looking all but done...  Cano to Mariners.  What do ya'll think?

I think a lot of pressure just got put on Ellsbury's $153M shoulders.   I don't blame Cano one bit, and it is a good business move for the Mariners.  Seattle needs some buzz out there (besides Felix) to put butts in seats. 

The Yankees business decision to play hardball with Cano intrigues me.  It also scares me as they may be getting smarter with their money.  Gasp!

I love the pitching staff. I would like to see Dempster and Peavy traded. They both have value as innings eaters. Put Workman in the rotation. He pitched well as a starter last year. If he fails bring up a prospect. Keep Doubrant. He pitched well from May through August and again in the post season. He's young, talented and under financial control. The big issue is signing Napoli or someone who can perform the same from the right side of the plate.

Most HR's at Safeco in a season: 21 (Richie Sexton)... More than likely Cano's offensive numbers will go way down there... He's a great player, but $24M at age 38-41 will be hard for fans to watch. I hope he enjoys his time there because there's a good chance he'll never play in a playoff game again...

Roger that RJM! Roger that.  Agree 100%.

Move the fences IN, way IN!    I think he's a very good player who is getting great money.  I think the Mariners are betting that his great years are ahead of him.  My Gold standard for 2nd basemen in my lifetime is Roberto Alomar.   If he can surpass Alomar, put Seattle back on the baseball map, and get talent to follow him it ($240M)will be a success.  

In seven years 20-25M might be a normal contract for a.275-20-75 position player. But how many 35+ players in the post PEDs era will perform at this level? And will their teams still want them if performing at this level. Then there's the risk of a Wayne Garland repeat. He signed a huge contract at the time for ten years, got a sore arm and won 28 games. His top year during the contract was 13-19.

Back in the 60s contracts were year to year. After a Triple Crown year Carl Yastrzemski signed for three years at 500k making him the highest paid player. Nineteen other GMs cried the Sox were ruining the payroll structure of baseball.

But it was nothing compared to a few years later the Sox insanely signed a freak'n utility infielder, Jack Brohammer for 200k.

The big winners in the Cano signing (240 million for ten years) are the Yankees just as Texas was the winner in the Hamilton signing, the Cardinals were the winner in the Pujols signing , etc. In these huge free agent signings, the club that signs the guy pays for the past and the previous club got most of the great years at a bargain. Cano is a very GOOD player not the best player in the game that his agents were trying to present him as. Just ask the Angels if they would tradeTrout straight up. They would laugh you out of the park. Would Detroit trade Cabrera for Cano, Washington trade Harper, the Dodgers trade Kershaw for Cano? NO! Cano is a complimentary player,abeit an excellent one much like Pedroia.

Cano's agent found that one other club that was desperate and felt they had to do SOMETHING for their team and fanbase. That's all it took. But the Yankees are now extremely dangerous. They will be in on every free agent now and that has to make other teams very nervous!

Re: Pedroia ... Eight years for Pedroia was a little insane. He doesn't have the kind of body that will hold up until age 38 with the way he plays. He's an all out grinder. But 1) the Sox had to sign him and 2) they got a hometown discount at 14M. Had Pedroia hit the open market he would have received three or four million more per year. Given his salary structure if he's toast after five more years the Sox got their monies worth.

Unless the Mariners move the fences in Cano's production will decrease. He'll still be a good player and an all star. But what he's being paid will look enormous against his numbers.

There's been an influx of money in baseball this year with the MLB tv contract plus some individual team cable deals. The free agent talent market doesn't match the money available. The smart teams will hold on until next year to spend.

If the Yankees proceed to sign Shin Soo they can lose games 11-8 instead of 11-6. They have one reliable starter in Nova and one in Sabathia they're hoping hasn't lost it (14-13, 4.78). Another prayer shot is Kuroda. He was 0-6, 5.40 down the stretch last year and he's getting old. Who's coming out of the pen? On the field first, second and third are still question marks.

Brian Cashman is very fortunate he can bury his mistakes in Benjamins. Most GMs don't have that luxury and lose their jobs over bad contracts.

The Phillies are trying to dump Papelbon. Will the Yankees go after him?